updated 11:50 am EST, Thu November 18, 2010

Dell Inspiron Duo gets launch date, price

Dell today formally revealed the Inspiron Duo, its first tablet netbook and its current attempt at a more direct Windows alternative to the iPad. The design hinges on its 10-inch display, which revolves vertically and turns the Duo into either a multi-touch slate or a touch-aware netbook. A custom layer on top of Windows 7 gives users access to media, the web and an iBooks-style e-reading app.

Inside, the PC goes beyond usual netbook specs with a 1.5GHz dual-core Atom, 2GB of RAM and a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator that can drive 1080p video either directly or in Flash. A 250GB drive also comes standard, and users can turn the Duo into a hybrid clock radio and media player with an optional JBL speaker dock that cradles the tablet in its non-netbook position.

The new Inspiron will be available for pre-order in the near future and should ship in the first week of December for $549. Bundling the Duo with the JBL dock raises the price to $649, but stand-alone pricing isn't known.

Dell has been relatively conservative entering mainstream tablets this year and has so far tackled it indirectly, releasing the Streak smartphone crossover in the summer and only now getting to sizes comparable to rivals. Most of its direct competitors to the iPad will ship in coming months and will primarily involve Android tablets.